Clippers' Glen Davis putting in extra work

Glen Davis has been putting in extra work to get himself ready for the playoffs.

Glen Davis has been putting in extra work to get himself ready for the playoffs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Broderick Turner

The Clippers took Monday off, preferring to rest their bodies rather than practice.

But not Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who appeared at the team's training facility to get in some extra conditioning and to practice his shooting.

"There's no off day," a smiling Davis said after Sunday's game against the Lakers.

Davis knows he needs to improve his conditioning so he can keep up with the fast-paced Clippers. He also needs to shed some weight from his 315-pound frame so he can earn the extra minutes he wants from Clippers Coach Doc Rivers.

So now it's common for Davis to work out when no practice is scheduled, or for him to stay longer after practice and after shootarounds.

"I'm getting there," he said. "We've still got two weeks left before the playoffs start, and I've got to try to get as much work as I can and get better and better."

In the 19 games Davis has played with the Clippers since he signed as a free agent on Feb. 24, Sunday's win over the Lakers may have been his best all-around game.

He played 18 minutes, his second most this season with the Clippers, had seven points on three-for-five shooting, plus eight rebounds, one assist and one steal.

"I'm still trying to adjust to what they're trying to do," Davis said. "I've just got to keep working. [Sunday] night was a good night for me…. It was good for me to be out there and get up and down."

Ten days ago Rivers was so upset at Davis during a game in Houston that he told security personnel to escort Davis to the locker room for disciplinary reasons. Rivers had pulled Davis in the second quarter of that game and Davis yelled something back at Rivers.

Davis later apologized.

"One of the things we talked about was conditioning so he can play better," Rivers said Sunday. "You've got to give him the credit. He's working."